Reproductive health has diverse definitions for women from various parts of the world and poses several challenges for practitioners. Reproductive health encompasses reproductive choice, sexuality, birth control, infertility, pregnancy loss, and general gynecologic health.
A discussion of reproductive health cannot be discussed without understanding the political and societal norms that dictate the level of importance or significance of women in a given society. These norms are an integral part of each woman’s self-worth and may influence choices made that promote or inhibit optimal health.
Societal status often predicts what the role of the women often plays in a society. Age, sexual activity, and marriage in many communities are customs as well as rites of passage. Expectations of family and community often dictate when childbirth should occur in the lives of women who are often children themselves. It is interesting to monitor the change in gender equality and equity in developing...
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Larkins-Pettigrew, M.D. (2012). Reproductive Health. In: Loue, S., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_655
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